Digital watch

ABSTRACT

A timepiece includes a pair of rotatable discs carrying respectively hour and minute indicia on one surface adjacent their peripheries. The indicia are arranged to pass, on rotation of the discs, adjacent the geometric central axis of the case of the timepiece. A window is formed at a position corresponding to the geometric central axis of the case, in a cover of the case, for viewing the indica.

United States Patent 1151 3,685 283 9 Bamat [451 Aug. 22, 1972 [S4] DIGITAL WATCH FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1 Inventor: Joseph 99 8 Beranges, La Tour 581,364 9/1924 France.........................58/l26 de Pall Swltlerland 250,418 6/1948 Switzerland .............58/l26 A [22] Filed: Nov. 13, 1970 Primary ExaminerStephen J. Tomsky 21 LN 4 1 App 0 23 Assistant Examiner-Stanley A. Wal

Attorney-Robert E. Burns and Emmanuel J. Lobato [52] US. Cl. A [51] Int.CI....................................... ......G04b15/00 TRQ [58] Field ofSearch.58/125 R, 125 B, 126 R, 126 A, [57] ABS CT 58/ 127 R A timepiece includes a pair of rotatable discs carrying respectively hour and minute indicia on one surface [56] References Cited adjacent their peripheries. The indicia are arranged to pass, on rotation of the discs, adjacent the geometric UNITED STATES PATENTS central axis of the case of the timepiece. A window is Cr .m me mm 6 h s f e r m m. g .l mm F w w .m r. n D 6 ca n m .me .nha M. zw C O D- 9 i .Ile mum g w m m we mcv X XXE 1558 2 225 1 W NWW 5 0 m m t H ch v wmww r1 .luu ane hh ITMBUU r..U OO MKDYY 83 3 39355 98999 11111 22 24 111 59066 3 969 25693 9 373 95 l 122 PATENTEmucaz I972 SHEET 1 0F 3 llllIIlllllllllllllllllllllilI PATENTEDmczz 1912 SHEET 3 UP 3 llillllllllllllllllllllll DIGITAL WATCH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Timepieces such as watches are known in which the conventional hour and minute hands are replaced by indicating discs.

The numerals provided on such discs often are small because of the small sizes of the discs which are limited by the size of the movement and of the case of the watch.

AIM OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is the provision of a timepiece which meets such drawbacks. In particular, an object of the present invention is the provision of a timepiece in which the geometric center of a support plate is spaced from the geometric center of the case of the timepiece so that apertures through which the indica on a pair of discs can be seen, are arranged centrally of the case and the dial of the timepiece.

According to the present invention, a timepiece, comprises a case, a movement contained within the case, a cover extending over one side of the case, a pair of discs, each disc carrying indicia on one surface adjacent its periphery, the discs being positioned immediately adjacent the cover for rotation by the movement, a support plate in the case carrying the discs and having a geometric central axis spaced from the geometric central axis of the case so that the indicia extend along paths which pass adjacent the geometric central axis of the case, and a window formed in the cover at a position generally corresponding to the central axis of the case for viewing the indicia on the discs.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, reference being made to the figures of the accompanying schematic drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a first embodiment of watch according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section on the line IIlI of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a second embodiment of a watch according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a cannon pinion 1 is driven by transmission means (not shown) of the watch and makes one turn in an hour.

It supports at its extremity a finger piece 2 having two arms of unequal length, the longest arm engaging a star-wheel 3 with twelve teeth 3a.

The latter meshes with a star-wheel with twelve teeth 4 rigidly mounted to a disc 5 for indicating hours.

The cannon-pinion l meshes with a toothed wheel 6 mounted on a pivot 7. The pivot 7 is integral with second toothed wheel 8 which meshes with a cannonpinion 9 supporting at one end a disc 10 indicating minutes.

The sizes and number of teeth on each of the transmission members between cannon-pinions l and 9 are calculated in such a way that the two cannon-pinions turn at the same speed. The minute disc 10 makes, like the finger piece 2, one turn in one hour.

The minute disc 10 is provided at its periphery with numerals in multiples of 5 from 0 to 55.

The hour disc 5 is provided at its periphery with numerals from 1 to 12.

The disc 5 turns forward of one twelfth of turn each time the longest arm of the finger piece 2 gears with a tooth 3a of the star-wheel 3.

The star-wheels 3 and 4 are maintained in position under the action of a jumper-spring l 1 (FIG. 1).

The discs 5, 10 are mounted at opposite sides of a mounting plate 15.

The indications provided by the two discs, appear in the windows 12 and 13 at the geometric center of a cover in the form of a dial 14.

The dimensions of the indiciating disc 10 for minutes are such that the disc covers most part of the movement of the watch. Further, the hour-indicating disc 5 is mounted at the opposite side of the plate 15 and protrudes from the latter.

The positioning of the two indicating discs 5, 10 permits them to have indicia of a sufficient size in order that the time display shall be perfectly visible.

The fitting of movement and of the indicating discs 5, 10 necessitates the spacing of the center of the plate 15 from the center of the case 16 as shown in FIG. 1.

On that figure, the outline a, b, c, d, limits the position of the plate 15 inside the case.

The de-centering of plate enables the positioning in the middle of the case 16 of the two apertures 12 and 13.

In another embodiment (FIG. 3) the hours and minutes discs are concentrically fixed to the middle of the plate 15. The de-centering of that plate in relation to the case 16 enables the positioning of the two apertures where the indications for hours and minutes appear in the middle of the case.

In a further embodiment, not shown here, the jumping-hours mechanism is replaced by a rotating-hours mechanism by replacing finger piece 2 and the starwheels 3 and 4 by pinions and toothed wheels of dial train (motion-work).

What is claimed is:

l. A wrist watch having a generally rectangular case having a lengthwise direction and a widthwise direction, a movement in said case comprising a mounting plate which is disposed eccentrically of said case with the center of said plate spaced in a lengthwise direction from the center of said case, a dial overlying said plate and having window means disposed at the center of said case, a minute disc rotatably mounted on said plate and overlying said movement, said minute disc being disposed between said plate and dial and having at its periphery indicia indicating minutes selectively visible through said window means, an hour disc rotatably mounted on said plate at the periphery thereof and extending beyond said plate, said hour disc being disposed beneath said dial and having at its periphery indicia indicating hours selectively visible through said window means, and means operatively connecting said discs with said movement to be driven by said movement, said window means, discs and indicia being arranged to present the hour indicia and minute indicia in line with one another in a direction lengthwise of the case with the minute indicia following the hour window.

2. A wrist watch according to claim 1, in which said indicia on said minute disc comprises the numeral 0 to 55 by 5s.

3. A wrist watch according to claim 1, in which said plate has two opposite straight sides extending along opposite sides of said case and two opposite arcuate sides one of which extends approximately to one end of said case and the other of which is spaced from the opposite end of said case by a distance equal approximately to the radius of said hour disc.

4. A wrist watch according to claim 1 in which said window means comprises two adjacent windows, one for said hour indicia and the other for said minute indicia, said window for said minute indicia having a greater extent in a widthwise direction of said case than said window for said hour indicia.

5. A wrist watch according to claim 1, in which said connecting means comprises means for driving said minute disc continuously and for driving said hour disc intermittently by increments of one-twelfth of a revolutlon.

6. A wrist watch according to claim 1, in which said hour disc and said minute disc are of approximately the same diameter.

7. A wrist watch having a generally rectangular case having a lengthwise direction and a widthwise direction, a movement in said case comprising a mounting plate which is disposed at one end of said case with the center of said plate spaced in a lengthwise direction from the center of said case, a dial overlying said plate and having window means disposed at the center of said case, two superposed indicator discs rotatably mounted on said plate and coaxial with one another, the lower of said disc being of larger diameter than the upper, said discs being disposed between said plate and said dial and each having at its periphery indicia selectively visible through said window means, the indicia on one disc comprising the numerals l to 12 representing hours and the indicia on the other disc comprising the numerals 0 to 55 by 5s representing minutes and means operatively connecting said discs with said movement to be driven by said movement, said window means, discs and indicia being arranged to present the hour indicia and minute indicia in line with one another in a direction lengthwise of the case with the minute indicia following the hour indicia.

8. A wrist watch according to claim 7, in which said lower disc has a diameter approximately equal to the width of aid case and is disposed approximately tangential to said one end of said case.

9. A wrist watch according to claim 8, in which said window means comprises two adjacent windows through one of which said indicia representing hours are visible and through the other of which said indicia representing minutes are visible, said other window having a greater extent in a direction widthwise of said case than said one window. 

1. A wrist watch having a generally rectangular case having a lengthwise direction and a widthwise direction, a movement in said case comprising a mounting plate which is disposed eccentrically of said case with the center of said plate spaced in a lengthwise direction from the center of said case, a dial overlying said plate and having window means disposed at the center of said case, a minute disc rotatably mounted on said plate and overlying said movement, said minute disc being disposed between said plate and dial and having at its periphery indicia indicating minutes selectively visible through said window means, an hour disc rotatably mounted on said plate at the periphery thereof and extending beyond said plate, said hour disc being disposed beneath said dial and having at its periphery indicia indicating hours selectively visible through said window means, and means operatively connecting said discs with said movement to be driven by said movement, said window means, discs and indicia being arranged to present the hour indicia and minute indicia in line with one another in a direction lengthwise of the case with the minute indicia following the hour window.
 2. A wrist watch according to claim 1, in which said indicia on said minute disc comprises the numeral 0 to 55 by 5''s.
 3. A wrist watch according to claim 1, in which said plate has two opposite straight sides extending along opposite sides of said case and two opposite arcuate sides one of which extends approximately to one end of said case and the other of which is spaced from the opposite end of said case by a distance equal approximately to the radius of said hour disc.
 4. A wrist watch according to claim 1, in which said window means comprises two adjacent windows, one for said hour indicia and the other for said minute indicia, said window for said minute indicia having a greater extent in a widthwise direction of said case than said window for said hour indicia.
 5. A wrist watch according to claim 1, in which said connecting means comprises means for driving said minute disc continuously and for driving saiD hour disc intermittently by increments of one-twelfth of a revolution.
 6. A wrist watch according to claim 1, in which said hour disc and said minute disc are of approximately the same diameter.
 7. A wrist watch having a generally rectangular case having a lengthwise direction and a widthwise direction, a movement in said case comprising a mounting plate which is disposed at one end of said case with the center of said plate spaced in a lengthwise direction from the center of said case, a dial overlying said plate and having window means disposed at the center of said case, two superposed indicator discs rotatably mounted on said plate and coaxial with one another, the lower of said discs being of larger diameter than the upper, said discs being disposed between said plate and said dial and each having at its periphery indicia selectively visible through said window means, the indicia on one disc comprising the numerals 1 to 12 representing hours and the indicia on the other disc comprising the numerals 0 to 55 by 5''s representing minutes and means operatively connecting said discs with said movement to be driven by said movement, said window means, discs and indicia being arranged to present the hour indicia and minute indicia in line with one another in a direction lengthwise of the case with the minute indicia following the hour indicia.
 8. A wrist watch according to claim 7, in which said lower disc has a diameter approximately equal to the width of said case and is disposed approximately tangential to said one end of said case.
 9. A wrist watch according to claim 8, in which said window means comprises two adjacent windows through one of which said indicia representing hours are visible and through the other of which said indicia representing minutes are visible, said other window having a greater extent in a direction widthwise of said case than said one window. 